Red Wings' right-handed blue line help could come from within

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ryan Sproul takes a shot in a preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Because he’s a right-handed shot, Sproul could win a spot on the Wings blue line. (AP Photo/Charlie Arbogast)

DETROIT >> It appears the Detroit Red Wings are done, at least for now, searching for a right-handed defensemen through free agency.

So with training camp roughly two months away they seem willing to have the same seven defensemen they had patrolling the blue line last season – Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Danny DeKeyser (restricted free agent), Brendan Smith, Kyle Quincey (who re-signed Tuesday for two years, $8.5 million), Jakub Kindl and Brian Lashoff – do so again this year.

Detroit tried to make a huge splash Tuesday, the first day unrestricted free agents could sign with other teams.

Right-handed shooting defensemen Dan Boyle, the Wings’ top priority, and Matt Niskanen both chose to sign with other teams within the Eastern Conference.

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Boyle, who turns 38 on July 12, signed a two-year deal with the New York Rangers for $9 million instead of a better deal Detroit had on the table, three years at $12.5 million.

Niskanen chose the Washington Capitals, getting a seven-year deal worth $40.25 million. Detroit was in the ballpark with its offer, seven years at $38.5 million, for the 27-year old defenseman.

While the Wings’ two main targets on the blue line decided to go elsewhere, the second tier – Tom Gilbert, Stephane Robidas, Anton Stralman – also got deals done with other teams.

“I just think it’s so much easier when you have a right and lefty on every pair,” Babcock said. “All you’ve got to do is look at L.A., a right and lefty on every pair. It makes it easier to get through the neutral zone. It’s easier off D-zone faceoffs to execute, you have the puck more. You can get it off the wall and shoot it in the offensive zone. To me it just makes sense.”

The Wings also had interest in a couple of left-handed blue liners – Christian Ehrhoff and Willie Mitchell.

Ehrhoff signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with Pittsburgh. A source said Ehrhoff’s agent had told the Wings he was seeking a five-year deal at roughly $5 million a season.

Mitchell, 37, got two years at $8.5 million with Florida.

Michael Del Zotto, who just turned 24, also remains a free agent, but he’s also a left-handed shot.

Arizona’s Keith Yandle, who’s a left-handed shot, is also rumored to be on the trading block.

The solution could simply be within the organization with Ryan Sproul and Alexey Marchenko, who are both right-handed shots and could push for a job in training camp.

Both finished their first season with the Griffins and both got to play one game with the Wings.

Sproul had 11 goals and 21 assists in 72 games with the Griffins last season, while Marchenko had three goals and 15 assists in 49 games.

Marchenko, who general manager Ken Holland likened to Brad Stuart, was higher than Sproul in the pecking order last season before season-ending ankle surgery.

The other two blue line prospects in Grand Rapids are lefties Xavier Ouellet and Mattias Backman.

Ouellet, who did replace Kindl in the lineup for Game 5 against Boston, is a stay-at-home defenseman that can move the puck well. He also appeared in four regular season games last year.

The Wings talked about a right-handed shot at the end of the season. They talked about a right-handed shot as their top priority July 1. And they still may be talking about a right-handed shot in the weeks to come.

Send comments to chuck.pleiness@macombdaily.com and visit his blog at redwingsfront.wordpress.com